US women exact revenge by defeating old foes Cuba

AFP , TOKYO

Tayyiba Haneef-Park of the US, rear, spikes against Cuba's Yumilka Ruiz Luaces, left, and Zoila Barros Fernandez during their first round match at the FIVB Volleyball World Cup in Hamamatsu, Japan, yesterday.

PHOTO: AP

The US pulled off a stunning victory against four-time champions Cuba for their second straight win at the women's World Cup volleyball tournament yesterday.

The Americans, who lost to Cuba in the continental championship final in September, got their revenge on the three-time Olympic gold medalists with a 20-25, 25-21, 25-18, 20-25, 15-11 win in Hamamatsu, central Japan.

"I think it's the second time for us to play Cuba over five sets," said the US coach, Lang Ping of China, after the 103-minute match. "When you have a tie-break [in the fifth set], it very much depends on the players and the tempo you have and also a bit of luck. Both teams had a great match, but I think we played well at the important moments."

"All the players are ready from the bench. We try to help each other. It's very important for this long tournament that you should have 12 players who are ready to play," she said.

Cuba's captain Yumilka Ruiz said mistakes cost them the match.

"It was a very interesting match between two big teams. We started out at a high level and hit a lot of good serves, but we made too many errors," she said.

The other favorites, European champions Italy and world bronze medalists Serbia, safely took their second straight wins in Tokyo in the 12 team round-robin competition.